Wednesday, 9 July 2014

News: Training Exercise Turns into a Capital Battle in the Ilahed System

Ilahed system, Derelik region. On the 8th of July, 19:50 EVE Standard Time, a training exercise held by The Volition Cult Alliance for its Capital ship wing took a turn for the worse when a Pandemic Legion Alliance fleet managed to drop on top of it, resulting in the loss of three Carrier class Capital ships.The Capital ship fleet, comprised of ten Dreadnaught and six Carrier class ships of assorted hulls, was on a training drill when a decision was made to mobilize it in order to remove a hostile tower in the Ilahed system. This was considered a part of the exercise, with an estimated low risk for the fleet, considering the presence of an allied Providence Bloc fleet of a hundred Battleship and Battlecruiser class ships nearby.The first siege cycle went without incident and the force was ready to extract when, apparently, a Pandemic Legion Alliance scout landed on top of the Capital force and activated a Cynosural Field beacon. At that moment jumped into the system thirty-one Mothership class Capital ships, mostly of the Aeon and Nyx hull variants. Three Carriers were caught by the fleet and were subsequently destroyed while the rest of the Capital force managed to warp off the field and jump back into safety. The Providence Bloc sub Capital forces managed to destroy one Archon class Carrier in retaliation, but lacked sufficient fire power in order to break the tanks of the Motherships, thus conceding the field to Pandemic Legion.However, it has been claimed that the Capital force had ample warning of the Pandemic Legion force, with observers noticing the mass log-in of Pandemic Legion Mothership class Capital pilots prior to the hot drop. Also, the Capital force was already in the process of extraction before the Pandemic Legion fleet jumped into the system, and two of the three Carrier losses were not due to hostile action (Such as tackle), but rather to pilot error, as the two pilots were new to the use of said Capital ships, and did not deactivate their siege cycles in time. This resulted in them remaining immobile on the field and unable to warp off, making them easy prey for the Pandemic Legion force. The third carrier, piloted by HANS STOKHOLM, of Worms Coalition, The Volition Cult Alliance, who commanded the Capital force, stayed behind to help his allies, to no avail, and was subsequently destroyed as well.

Complete Battle ReportAccording to HANS STOKHOLM, all of the Carrier class ship losses were reimbursed under the Volition Cult's Ship Replacement Program.Special thanks to HANS STOKHOLM, of Worms Coalition, The Volition Cult Alliance for giving an interview.